Simone Harch

Insightful conference today regarding adoption relationships and connections. As a second-family mum and now first-family grandparent I feel this issue from both sides. #OpennessInAdoption

@MrAlCoates I thought it was very thought-provoking.... Not sure I agreed with the 'stupid' adoptive parent comment; naive or 'uninformed' sat much better with me! Hope to help inform as this is the only way forward.

Heading down to that London on the train for the National Adoption Strategy Team's Conference on #opennessinadoption tomorrow. I've got my tape recorder and notepad and will be speaking to contributors and tweeting it out.

I see many adoptive parents who are experts at suppressing their emotions. Because there is no space for their reality.

@gillian_shotton @BASW_UK I am looking to use narrative work with clients who have experienced early life chaos / trauma. You refer to using the tools with ‘young people’… can they also be used with ‘older people’? 😊

I’m now offering training on a narrative based approach to life story work. narrativelifestorywork.com Sessions online & in person. #socialwork #LifeStories #lookedafterchildren #fostering #adoption @BASW_UK

Many thanks to @researchIP for publishing a piece about child and adolescent to parent violence and abuse this month #CAPVA #CPV researchinpractice.org.uk/children/news-…

@MrAlCoates And isn’t this one of the issues when adoption therapy is limited to ‘specialists’…. I am totally supportive of broadening the pool of providers and letting adults make informed choices.

@TheAandFPodcast My daughter returned to live with her BM when she was 13. The relationship became complicated very quickly. She is now 18 and has her BMs details so this now sits with her to decide!

Adoptive parents, do you have ongoing meaningful 'contact' with your children's birth family? #Adoption #Contact #MaintainingFamily If you feel able say what that looks like in a comment too.

@ClaireLouPsych Anything that helps to increase understanding of the lived experience of many….

@HiddenVictims Do let me know if I can help in anyway, equally maybe I could call on the Potato group for knowledge exchange? 😊

I thought I saw a tweet from someone doing a PhD on compassion fatigue in adopters…? Can anyone tell me who this is please?

@MrAlCoates That’s not an outcome for anyone without the support packages to go with said recruitment…

Listening to the HoC debate about the Govs response to the Care review. 200million over 2 years, it's disappointing and a piecemeal response. Meanwhile. 160million on adopter recruitment over the next 3 years. That's recruitment only and not even an outcome for children.

@ClaireLouPsych Ah! Hi. It could be! Was your original idea compassion fatigue in adoptive parents? I’m a member of potato and a group of us were talking about compassion fatigue yesterday and I thought about your research.

@HiddenVictims Could it be me?

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby: “Those who serve will be loved and remembered longer than those who cling to power and privilege are long forgotten”.

@DrAmandaHolt Hmmm. Not sure I’m in agreement with ‘improving parenting skills’ as a key outcome. It’s hard to ‘parent’ when you live constantly in fight / flight.

Parenting skills, family functioning and social support in child-to-parent violence link.springer.com/article/10.100…

@MrAlCoates I’m hearing you. 😳

Blimey, what a week. The complexity of caring/parenting children who have experienced early adversity is truly the most challenging thing. Re focusing on connection stretches values and emotions to the very limit.

@AmandaTDA I think i fall into 3 of your 4 groups.

Advocates: want no changes. Reformers: want to change specific parts of existing systems. Abolitionists: want to build new, better systems of alternative care. Restorationists: want to repair harm caused by past & existing systems. Restorationists are fluid & non-exclusive.

There are at least four broad categories of adoptee-led + first/foster/adoptive parent allied movements. None can be simply described this way. - Adoption Advocates - Adoption Reformers - Adoption Abolitionists - Adoptive Justice Restorationists I am the 4th. #adoption

@MrAlCoates @DawnH4416 Thoroughly enjoyed this episode thank you. So many strong points made on the reality of adoption today.

The A&F Podcast We speak to @DawnH4416 about the furore and controversy following the AUK publicity around #AdoptionDisruption it's a tricky issue so be cautious as it covers an upsetting and challenging topic. #Adoption buff.ly/3dF9Hyq

@locoparentispod It would have been really good if they had a broader report on the subject; let’s hope that is to come.

@GayAdoptionDad I despise sensationalised journalism. But the article shows the appalling level of support provided to adoptive families and just how little real understanding exists. And there are so many of us with similar stories.

Ignore the Times headline and sickening wording and read the real story. Families falling apart - the devastating consequences of a lack of support adoptionuk.org/blog/families-…

@MrAlCoates For me it’s all about supporting two sets of parents to safely raise a child. Being honest about the challenges; putting in place long term trauma-informed support for everyone.

Pulling together a podcast for adopters thinking about the ethical challenges of adoption and how we consider them and weigh them. Many of us are way down the road, how do we move as society’s view of adoption move?